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| St. Kitts and Nevis' Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas (l) and Premier of Nevis, Hon. Joseph Parry |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, SEPTEMBER 18TH 2007 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas and Nevis’ Premier, Hon. Joseph Parry will be among scores of Caribbean and World leaders and diplomats in St. Lucia today paying final respects at the State Funeral Service of late St. Lucia Prime Minister the Right Hon. Sir John Compton.
Prime Minister Douglas and Premier Parry, who leave the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport mid-morning on Tuesday morning, will be accompanied by Cabinet Secretary in the Nevis Island Administration, Mr. Ashley Farrell.
The St. Kitts and Nevis leaders and other Caribbean Heads of Government will be among the thousands of St. Lucians and residents who will file past the casket of Compton, a three-time leader of St. Lucia revered for delivering independence from Britain.
Trees and buildings across the tiny Caribbean island were decorated with bunting in the national colors of yellow, blue and black ahead of a state funeral Tuesday for Compton, who died Sept. 7 at age 82.
~~Adz:Right~~ Some wept as they passed the closed casket inside the parliament building.
Compton came out of retirement to lead his United Workers Party to an upset victory in elections last December. He had become St. Lucia's first prime minister upon independence in 1979, but was voted out later that year. He also governed from 1982 to 1996.
Although Compton was Anglican, his funeral will take place inside a large Roman Catholic church in the capital to accommodate the anticipated crowds. A television screen also has been set up in a square outside to church to broadcast the ceremony Tuesday, which has been declared a national public holiday.
Compton's family plans a private service following the funeral.
